I love how new technology finds its way into a museum and inspires staff

                                              Karen Lee (L) with senior museum studies expert Gretchen Jennings

Karen Lee is the numismatic curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities and is administered by the United States government. Recently, she was in Kolkata to discuss the significance of “Indian and American Museums in a Global Context” at Victoria Memorial Hall here along with senior museum studies expert Gretchen Jennings, formerly associated with the Smithsonian.  Abhijit Ganguly spoke to her.

How is technology changing the way we look at a museum?

Museums have changed dramatically over the past few decades because of how technology has been applied to deliver content, enrich context and interactivity for previously static displays and create immersive environments that help people connect with new experiences. Even aspects like exhibition lighting, security and customer service have changed because of how we’re using technology to address these needs. I love how new technology finds its way into a museum and inspires staff. We have got so many tools in our professional ‘tool box’ now that can be used to help visitors explore and interact with new ideas and experiences.

What are some of the ways the Smithsonian Institution uses technology to innovate the visitor experience, manage exhibitions and attract visitors?

We look at technology from multiple perspectives at the Smithsonian. At the world’s largest cultural museum complex, we’ve got people who use technology in very different ways, most of which involves research. Speaking as an exhibition developer, we primarily ask “how can technology help with our outward-facing activities” meaning things that happen within Smithsonian museums or online and through public outreach. We also ask “how can technology help with our inward-facing activities” where we preserve and manage collections, conduct research and plan for the future, among other things.

Two recent examples of how my colleagues are pioneering the use of technology are worth mentioning. At the Smithsonian’s Cooper- Hewett Museum in New York City, they have developed a technology called the “Pen”, which allows visitors to collect and design new things based upon what they see and do in the museum. People can even send their creations home where engagement with the museum hopefully continues. In an era of selfies and social media, Smithsonian museums are also beginning to encourage visitors to use their own technology--usually cell phones-to enhance their experiences at the museum and from home. For example, the National Museum of Natural History developed an application that lets visitors see what skeletons on display in the museum looked like when the animals were alive.

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Video is still a very new medium in the fine-art field. There are no real rules and that makes us as the practitioner’s very privileged- Paul Holmes

Recently, Studio 21 showcased Outside the Box - Art Exhibition presenting the recent video works by Paul Holmes. The director and film maker showcases his various works, some of which are being exhibited for the first time.  The artist alters the duration and rhythm of the moving image and highlights the structures of movement that creates visually appealing scenes that goes unnoticed when seen in standard time speed.  Abhijit Ganguly spoke to Holmes, who also teaches at the School of Arts and Creative Industries, Edinburgh Napier University.

Your work studies the facial nuances of emotion, is this something people often miss in regular communication?

I think that people are very aware of the meaning of facial expressions on a subconscious level.  They are part of communication in day-to-day life.  My work "Outside the Box" captures the expressions made by improvising jazz musicians.  People who go to concerts are perhaps unaware of these expressions as they are focusing on the performance as a whole. But research by psychologists suggests that these expressions may well be important in the imparting of the emotional meaning of the music to an audience.  People receive these visual signals in support of their enjoyment of the music, but without necessarily realizing it.   That is why I felt it was important to make this work without any explicit suggestion of the performance that is taking place.  The piece is silent and the viewer cannot see the instruments that are being played.  The intention is to make the viewer watch and consider these expressions consciously that they normally only appreciate unconsciously.  These expressions are mysterious, extreme, bizarre even.  They seem somehow to be at the limits of sanity.  And yet the work contains no clue as to what is causing them.  It is up to the viewer to form their own conclusions. That is what gives it its power I think.

You seem to read faces the way others read palms, when did the facial expressions start to interest you?

This area of interest came to me by accident.  I was preoccupied by a sense of my own ageing, and that made me interested in facial workouts.  When I started doing research into this, I realized that countless people must share this personal obsession of mine.  The work "Time Machine" came about because of this.  I think that working on this piece made me conscious of the power of the face, or made me somehow fascinated by faces. So when I saw Haftor Medboe's jazz band at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, I already had some heightened awareness of the face as the seat of expression.  It was a natural progression for me to make "Outside the Box" as a consequence.

What can people learn about paying attention to the details of expression?

That is hard to address because I am not trying to offer answers to any particular questions in my work. Rather, I am trying to make people see something that they don't usually notice, to ask their own questions about meaning and form their own conclusions.  

Your work is being hailed as an art form. Does all art starts with observation and the artist's view/worldview of things?

I believe that creative ideas of this kind often come to you by accident.  It was never my original intention to be an artist that was interested in faces.  But then, after the success of these works I began to think of myself in those terms; that this was some kind of groove that I belonged in; that my work from now on would focus on faces.  But that was a mistake.  I searched for the next 'face' work that I could make, but of course found nothing.  You cannot force an idea to come.  Since I have been living in this city a couple of ideas for new works have come to me: One is conceptually inspired, the other visually.  Neither has anything to do with faces. It was only when I let go of this notion and stopped trying to think of this kind of idea that I was open to seeing new possibilities.  

What would you say to aspiring young media artists, how would you encourage them?

Video is still a very new medium in the fine-art field.  There are no real rules and that makes us as practitioners very privileged.  We can do whatever we like.  But when an idea comes to me, I ask myself two fundamental questions: Firstly, what benefit can I bring to this idea by making a moving-image work rather than a still photograph, and secondly, how is this idea better served by a video artwork as opposed to a narrative piece, either documentary or fiction, that would be more at home on TV or in the cinema.  These questions are key if video art is to be distinguished from these other dominant cultural forms.  What I have learned from living here and finding a new direction to take with my work is that an artist always needs to be open to new possibilities, however they come to you.  The enemy of creativity is to try too hard to find a specific thing.  Look, listen and be open-minded. Then works will suggest themselves to you when you least expect it, and demand in the strongest possible way to be made.

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"What I love most of the classical guitar is the intimacy one gets when playing the instrument"

Simon Cheong was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and started learning the classical guitar at 13 with his uncle Andrew Chye, a violinist. In 1983, with a British Council grant, he studied with John Duarte in London. He has given numerous performances and has appeared on Malaysian Radio and TV as well as on ORTV, Turkey; TV5 Phillipines; HCMC TV, Vietnam.

He founded the Classical Guitar Society (WP/Sel) Malaysia around December 1991 (The society was officially registered in 1993) and he has been the President ever since. Simon is also the festival director of ‘CGS International Guitar Festival & Camp’. In 2004, with his students, he formed the Kuala Lumpur Guitar Ensemble II (2004-2013). Simon has performed in guitar festivals in Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Phillipines, India and Germany.

Simon has been teaching the classical guitar professionally for over 30 years and apart from teaching in private music schools and privately, he had taught diploma and degree programs at University Technology MARA, Malaysia (1990 – July 2011) and a few years at Malaysia Institute of Art.

He has published his arrangements for the classical guitar – Tanah Pusaka, Mak Inang and Putra Putri (as quartets as well solo arrangements) and his debut recording world premiered John Duarte’s Variations on an Indonesian song op. 124 “Gubahanku”.

1. What is it that drew you to the classical guitar and what do you love about the instrument?

Firstly, on my mother's side of the family, I have two uncles who are violinists and an aunt who is a ballerina so you can say that music and the arts does run in my blood. I remember when I was 8, I asked my mother for guitar lessons, but during those days I was pretty small build and there were no smaller made guitars and when my mother asked her brother about teaching me the guitar, he said I was too small! This was the case again when I was 10 and then when I was around 13 years old, my uncle finally started giving me lessons.

Why the guitar? I guess I have a natural affinity with the instrument, although I have tried learning the violin and piano.

What I love most of the classical guitar is the intimacy one gets when playing the instrument. The very personal touch where every sound that is played is with both your hands with no mechanisms or inanimate objects, cajoling a beautiful tone that really touches the heart.

2. Who or what are your inspirations?

If I recall correctly, I guess the family chatter of my uncle, Andrew Chye, getting scholarships and winning many awards at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and then being the assistant first violinist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra... All these would have been inspiring to a young imaginative mind. Obviously, there is Segovia, John Williams and Julian Bream.

What are my own inspirations? My own development in my understanding of music and all the discoveries in my never-ending search for this understanding of music and of perfecting the art of playing the guitar through its interpretations, technique, performance and teaching within me spurs me on.

3. What recent trends have you been noticing with respect to the classical guitar scenario?

The classical guitar scenario is getting on fine with the very many active people we see today. As we all know, any and every activity would not survive without the enthusiasm of those involved and even more importantly, the generating force who has the capabilities to bring in and to fulfill his dream that will benefit all.  For example here with the Calcutta International Guitar Festival & Competition, attributed to Avik Saha for his forward-looking perspective and great dynamic energy towards bringing the very best in India, bringing India to international attention, creating enthusiasm and exposing the people of India to international standards that would be a benchmark to the Indian classical guitarists. This in turn creates a very healthy situation for the betterment of the classical guitar all over the world.

As the President of the Classical Guitar Society Malaysia, I have organized my festival/camp for many years in Malaysia and has helped inspire others to follow suit and now there are about four active festivals in Malaysia alone. This shows that the guitar is thriving and the general base for it is growing. I am also proud to say that those who had attended my festival were inspired to organize their own like when Matthew MacAllister was at my camp and saw what I did, he mentioned that he would do a retreat festival and the following year he started his Classical Guitar Retreat in Scotland. Just recently, I was just performing at the 1st Saigon International Guitar Festival (12-16 Nov 2014) and the organizers gave us credit in their opening speech.

With all these festivals and competitions flourishing, the trend for the classical guitar will keep growing to greater heights despite the onslaught of the commercialistic popular music. Classical music, or as I would like to also call it intellectual music, would never have the popularity of the masses as the masses need to be educated in order to appreciate. Hence, as music in history for its development has always needed patrons, today too, we would need well wishers, patrons of the Arts, sponsors and the vision of someone like Avik Saha.

4. Over the last decade, we have seen significant usage of technology in music. Your take on it.

Technology in music is a very wide topic. Firstly, technological improvement helps eases the people's basic chores and frees the person to explore more creative aspects of whatever he or she is indulging in or working on. It also has its drawbacks, especially when there is an over-reliance on technology. As we are really in the midst of technological advancement, only history can really be able to define the effects it has on us and our music. The biggest advantage with the Internet is that information if used wisely is for the betterment of humankind. I have always forewarned my students to be able to differentiate the good and the bad, the amateurs and the professionals. One should not be impressed with views that are baseless without questioning the integrity and background check of the proposer especially the validity of extremist views or those that are for profits only.

The biggest setback to musicians is the dwindling audience at live concerts caused by technology.  The experience of a live concerts is something that cannot be replicated in recording. The eclectic feeling created by the enthusiasm of the audience, their expectations and the pleasant surprises of the personality of the performer, his demeanor on stage, his persona that emanates through his playing...All this will only be filtered out in a recording. A poor perspective of the techno-crazed person is the laziness to get out of the seat in front of their monitor to go and attend a concert! A poor excuse being, I hear on 'YouTube' what I want or I have a CD on it. The perfection on a recording is unreal and misses out on the human personal affections. Something which has affected everyone is the lack of interpersonal interactions. People have begun to not know how to communicate with each other and have become very impersonal! 

5. Your word of advice for aspiring guitarists?

Be true to yourself! Remember that success comes from hard work and there are no shortcuts to it. The fire within yourself is of utmost importance, but yet it should not burn so fervently that it just dies when faced with a little setback nor should this fire burn so slowly that nothing happens!

Just practicing for hours is not enough if the practicing is not intelligent practicing (that means solving and looking for problems during practice), one must read books and magazines about music, attend all live concerts no matter what instrument you are playing - a violin, piano orchestral concert... Mix around, get views good and bad, learn from both. And finally, improving oneself means falling down often, yet not letting setbacks pull you down, but take it as an experience to change and learn!

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Social issues have always been and will always be a big part of my life

Bryan Anton Rose, American film director, writer, author, and inspirational speaker noted for his films dealing in youth social issues.

Bryan was the first African American to be voted “Best Writer” at the Danville High School and excelled in athletics. At 23, he made his first film “Colored Black”, a documentary about how young African Americans view themselves in comparison to other races that was soon followed by another documentary “The Bottoms” (Urban renewal and Remembering A Neighbourhood), in which he worked with the accomplished filmmaker Mike Boedicker. Bryan was offered the Genius Grant to make four more segments of Colored Black in New York and complete a highly anticipated film “The Good Child” about a young man’s view of the church. His narrative film “Life with Siren” exposes the slave like conditions in a northern Indian tea garden. He shares his views with Abhjit Ganguly.

Why are you so interested in social issues?

It starts with my faith. I am a Third Culture Christian. I always faced the reality of being a Black American growing up in a diverse community in the US. I know the issues of every society and culture and I take it personally. If I see any injustice made to women I think of saying something about it or doing something about it. Social issues have always been and will always be a big part of my life.

In India I look at race relations between individuals. Being in America, my grandparents struggled for equality. I see in India that has not really happened so much yet. India is an exciting place for me. The youth are the heartbeat of social change here. Social issues are definitely what I am going to be involved in. India needs its filmmaking community to bring about change in society. They need to reveal the truth about what is going on. I also plan to do that in India.

“Coloured Black” showed the gap between coloured and white communities in the US in the past. What are your views about the growing importance of African Americans in the US, even in the White House?

I didn’t accept the Genius Grant, instead I chose to relocate to a flat in the South Shore section of Chicago to make the segments of Colored Black. That was around the same time Barack Obama started to prepare his first presidential run and Chicago was such an exciting place to be in during that period in America.

Bryan at International Institute of Film and Television

That Film, “Colored Black” was definitely a racially charged project. I was only 23 at the time and I grew up in a very diverse community so race relations were not very important in my life, so it was a learning experience for me. President Obama, who endorsed the film and met with one of the actors, is a key figure in the importance of diversity in any powerful yet positive position. I look forward to when I can see Black Indians in positions of influence.

Is Urban Renewal and Remembering a Neighbour- hood (The Bottoms) just nostalgic or do you show the closing of the urban-rural divide in the country?

In “The Bottoms”, there is a mix of both nostalgia and the negative of gentrification that is shown on screen. My father’s family lived in the community that was uprooted and yes, there were a lot of hurt feelings from the neighbourhood families. But moving onto a better situation was the key for them. The film mostly highlighted the positive memories the Bottom’s residents shared during their time spent.

What do you think of your documentary on Indian education?

Education is everything in India. It indicates social status. It is big business. I come from a culture of people who want to know if you can do the work. For instance, when I hire someone I don’t see where they have studied, rather I see their portfolio. I am more performance- based. One thing I love about the Indian education system is its competitiveness. But again people are like machines, they memorize a lot but can’t solve problems. I am not really interested in memorizing. I learned a lot while doing that documentary.

What are your upcoming projects?

I am presently producing and directing a very controversial Hindi/English film titled “First Lady” about an emotionally abandoned pastor’s wife who moonlights under a different persona looking for affection in the darkest places.

I am expecting a lot of protests and backlash for this project, I expect people will understand it clearly once they see it. I have been in India a few years and understand the culture of things, so I am sure that many organizations and individuals will have a problem with the film. Good thing I don’t make films to make friends. This is the first narrative film in India I am financing myself, hopefully it will not be the last.

What do you think of filmmakers of India?

They have so much talent! In US the music is the culture. In India film is the culture. So film is much more important. But brilliant filmmakers are not necessarily telling the truth openly yet. When they start telling the truth openly a new style of film making will emerge.

Your advice to aspiring filmmakers in India?

Honestly, creativity is the easy part. Don’t be afraid to be a good businessman. You need to get finance for your film. Formulate a serious business plan and get film finance. You need to learn to make profit while preserving your artistic integrity.

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People and Puppets perform together

Making crafts and playing with puppets are often considered childish, since they are used by children to create their own worlds. But adults retain the desire to create and control even after they abandon these pastimes. It is possible that all the broken motions of historical progress—inventions, discoveries, technology—reflect that desire.

The Czech country is the Mecca for all puppetry artists. Puppet theatre is also an important identity for Czech people together with the Bohemian glass art. In such a country that has a long-age traditional culture, Noriyuki Sawa is quite famous. Noriyuki Sawa blends traditional Japanese banraku puppetry with modern Czech “Figure Theatre.” He is a contemporary puppet theatre performer who studied figure theatre at the Czech National Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and has continued to perform in collaboration with numerous leading theatres such as DRAK from his base in the Czech Republic. Bunraku is traditional Japanese puppetry.

With origins in the 17th century, in Bunraku the story is told through half-life-size puppets, each worked by three puppeteers, a shamisen (Japanese instrument) player and a narrator or chanter. Figure theatre—a more spontaneous performance—has artists interacting with their puppets. They share the stage, act together in unison to tell a story. He explains “A traditional puppeteer imparts character to his inanimate puppet, so that the puppet seems to acquire a distinct personality and act of its own will. Figure Theatre artists, on the other hand, emerge from behind their puppets to interact with them; they control the puppets and are also manipulated by the puppet-characters they have created.” For instance, in his production of “Forest,” he plays the soldier’s soul while controlling the puppets representing the soldier’s body and the white woman.

Regarding the content of the play Noriyuki says, “Shakespeare, European fairy tales, anything. But I am always trying to include the feeling of Japan, especially the Japanese fabric in the show.”

It was his first contact with the Indian audience. He felt, “I love them, because they are very happy to be in the theatre and see something. They look like enjoying the secret festival in the dark forest.” Puppet theatre usually plays for kids in Japan. But in Europe including Czech country, puppetry is one of the theatre arts and even puppets, they are scenic arts also for the adult audience.

Noriyuki Sawa signs off, “In the ancient age, puppet theatre has been developed as the religious ritual; it has been a miniature-model of the relationship between God and human beings. I would also like just to go forward being manipulated, hopefully by God, but maybe by puppets?”

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Do not be afraid... If you love what you do, you must do it

Giancarla Munoz Reyes is a creative and independent character sculptor from Bolivia. Whether in the dynamics of the brass movement, or in the soft lines of the stone, or the expression of a face made in mud that seems to speak in silence. Since 1984, she has participated in individual and collective exhibitions at: Mexico City, Mexico / Faenza, Italy / Galicia, Spain /Miami, USA / Florianopolis, Brazil / Beijing, China / Asuncion, Paraguay / Majorca, Spain / and several cities in Bolivia. She has monumental works representing Bolivia at Mexico City (“Wayra Mujer Viento”) and Mallorca (“Tú y Yo”). She speaks to Abhijit Ganguly on the sidelines   of

How is being an artist in Bolivia harder or easier for women than in other parts of the world?

My experience of being a woman and also being an artist in my country as well in other countries has been very fortunate. I feel great being a woman and doing what I am doing, I feel admired by others and never had an impediment to doing anything. On my work or doing other things like travel around the world. Only in Muslims countries it is better to travel with a man.

What is your view on women empowerment?

I think women empowerment is very important in the whole world and that there should be equal rights for everybody.

What motivates you to choose a subject matter?

What motivates me is a lot of strong feelings and thoughts about the subconscious of men and women. I have been taking to understand the elements of the earth, brotherhood between everyone on earth and I am also conscience of what we should do in life and what we are here for.

For you, what’s the most challenging thing about being an artist?

What is most challenging thing is to communicate through my sculpture what I want to say; what I believe in.

What is your view on women artists wishing to pursue serious and full time art career?

To women, to men, to everybody I will say go forward to make a full career! Do not be afraid... If you love what you do, you must do it... So don’t be afraid and take up a full time career! Just be sure of yourself and be good at it.

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There is a constant exchange between image, text, movement and sound- Vassilis Kritikos

Vassilis is Artistic Director at Eilissos a company for culture.”Eilissos" micro-art space is the seat of the homonymous non- profit organization founded in 2006 by group of artists, scientists and entrepreneurs to overall research, study, preservation and dissemination of art in various manifestations. An old house - in the city center near the old bed of the homonymous river - converted into "pocket theater",  music scene,  exhibition space according to the needs of the event.  Abhijit Ganguly spoke to him on the sidelines of Celebrating 82nd birth anniversary of Jerzy Grotowski the event Celebrating 82nd birth anniversary of Jerzy Grotowski in Kolkata organised by Bibhaban In association with. Theatre House & Proscenium Art Centre.

What exactly is the philosophy of physical theatre?

For me the philosophy of physical theatre is the philosophy that I have seen in Grotowski’s attitude in his works. It is the philosophy to keep the essentials and throw everything else. This stands in the making of a performance as in life … a man should tend to evolve to someone who will be “perfect” if possible in the meaning I gave before as the actor also should tend to be the “total” actor if possible also …
   

Could you share with us some of the manifestations and forms typical of this style?

Physical theatre contains under his umbrella many styles or forms. Starting from one image that can be converted to movement and special atmosphere …  and finally to communication without hearing and understanding a text but mainly feeling the presence of the actor, the images he creates and the whole atmosphere …  
This is related also in our days with dance theatre or dance as the Japanese discipline of Butoh dance or forms like the tradition of Katakhali in India … The discipline of Japanese Butoh dance influenced already considerably  the aesthetic of the contemporary performance.   
All the above without the need of lights, of decor etc but only with the need of the simple and the essential : one actor and one spectator as Jerzy Grotowski – the Polish Director who influenced so much universal theatre in the 20th century – suggested with his “Poor” Theatre.
We can say that there are no concrete boundaries between theatre and expressive dance  in our days … as there is a constant exchange between image, text, movement and sound. 

What are the latest trends in performances in physical/movement theatre?

The latest trends are about this interchange between all disciplines : theatre, dance, dance-theatre, music, text, sound etc, also we speak about this extended relation between audience and performers …  Performance can happen in an old factory as in an abandoned house … and most of the times improvising … the attention is not in the form but in the presence and the experience of the performer …

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Accordion, nowadays, has its own renaissance - Zoltan Orosz

Zoltan Orosz has inherited the love of the accordion from his father, who noticed early the outstanding talent of his son. Zoltan was four years old when he got his first accordion with 8 basses. In 1977, when he was only 11 years old, he started his studies at a Bela Bartok music conservatory in Budapest. There, he mastered playing not only the accordion, but the organ as well. In 1992 he founded the "Podium Duo" with guitarist Gabor Ursu. The repertoire is featured by the permanent motto of their appearances: "Well-known melodies on accordion in virtuoso interpretation". To meet their motto, Zoltan and Gabor attempt to prove that the accordion can be used in nearly all genres of music. They are playing French musettes, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish pieces and tangos. In their program, fiery South-American tunes, ragtime and classical adaptations follow each other in harmonious neighborhood. 

From Singapore to Paris the Duo has appeared in numerous cities of the world, but their most loved place to give concerts is Hungary. In March 2000 they got the very prestigious “eMeRTon” award from Radio Hungary as the “Nostalgy Band of the Year. During the last couple of years Zoltan won the first prize of "Hungarian International Accordion Competition" consequently three times. 

How did your tryst with accordion happen? What were your initial inspirations?

I got acquainted with the accordion at my age of 2 or 3 as my Father was also an accordionist. I got my very first instrument also from him, and it meant a lot to me that in my childhood I could play and practice together with him. He has been my example, for his human and musical values, forever throughout my life.

One of the biggest problems of accordion world is that it is quite isolated from the general music world. In effect, many accordion players feel like they are considered to be at a lower level in respect piano or strings. What is your opinion?

Accordion, nowadays, has its own Renaissance. At last, contemporary composers also started realizing the extreme richness and diverse nature of this instrument, as it can be used anywhere from jazz to folk and film music, and it can even be used as a solo orchestra single-handedly. Its quality of dynamism and richness of expression, in expert hands, can play a significant role in any genre, that is why I have been lucky to give concerts in various genres all over the world from Siberia to Singapore. It has been a great happiness and honor for me to get a very positive response also from Indian audience, and at the end of the concerts, I feel, their standing ovation is not only a great appreciation, but in the same time, also a great responsibility for me: the openness and recognition by this music-loving audience is a real treasure for me that I am valuing and respecting a lot. 

The Accordion is an instrument that is often connected to folk music, but in reality its applications are much broader, such as accordion players in (for example) jazz and pop music show. Can you please talk a bit about the possibilities the accordion offers as an instrument?

The structure of accordion is made in such a way that its pipes sound with the help of air, therefore the dynamism and expression of the instrument are very similar to a singer's performance. 

As far as I am concerned, I have been giving concerts with accordion in the world in all types of genres, from Vivaldi to French chanson, from Jazz to the Balkan folk music, to pop music, and I can state that this instrument has proved its right of existence in various musical styles. It's a special honor for me that after one of my concerts in Delhi, this fantastic guitar artist Susmit Sen requested me to participate in the music of his next album, and also, to participate jointly with him in one of India's greatest music festivals. After our first rehearsal together, it has also been proved that accordion holds its own stand even in progressive rock, based on Rajasthani folk music, giving a particular special new shade to this enchanting musical world. 

I, along with the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi, have been searching for new possibilities to explore avenues that would enable us to present the music treasures and culture of both countries to a much broader audience, and also, our aim is to  publish all the treasures that have been created as a result of this musical interaction between the two countries

Your advice for aspiring accordion players?

My Father told me at my age of  four that there are both good as well as bad (music) notes living in this instrument, therefore we have to be very careful that only the good notes should be allowed to come out, as these released notes would travel around the world and would come across our way one day. When I asked him how to do it that I should release only the good notes from the instrument, he answered: "One has to live like that..."

This is the hardest homework, I ever got from him... And I keep on practicing according to this every day, ever since...

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